RIPE: The Search for the Perfect Tomato

Author Arthur Allen reads from and discusses his new release

When
Sun Mar 28, 2010
Where
Omnivore Books on Food
Time
3:00 p.m.
Tags
Literary Arts, Author Appearances
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Description

Author of RIPE: The Search for the Perfect Tomato, will visit the bookstore to discuss his newest release written for the millions of food lovers who are tomato-obsessed and revealing the fascinating story behind the fruit, its farmers, and its fans around the world. Allen's previous book, Vaccine, has been highly praised by the likes of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, Bookslut, and The Washington Post.

The tomato. Savory as a bell pepper, sweet as a mango, and tart as a lemon, this strange fruit inspires a cultlike devotion from food lovers on all continents. The people of Ohio love the tomato so much they made tomato juice the official state beverage. An annual food festival in Spain draws thousands of participants to a 100-ton tomato fight. The inimitable, versatile tomato has conquered the cuisines of Spain and Italy, and in America it is our most popular garden vegetable.

Journalist and former AP foreign correspondent Arthur Allen understands the spell of the tomato and is your guide in telling its dramatic story. He begins by describing in mouthwatering detail the wonder of a truly delicious tomato, then introduces the man who prospected for wild tomato genes in South America and made them available to tomato breeders. He tells the baleful story of enslaved Mexican Indians in the Florida tomato fields, the conquest of the canning tomato by the Chinese army, and the struggle of Italian tomato producers to maintain a way of life. Allen combines reportage, archival research, and innumerable anecdotes in a lively narrative that, through the lens of today’s global market, tells a story that will resonate from the greenhouse to the dinner table.

More Info

Link
http://www.omnivorebooks.com
Call
415.282.4712
Email
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Location

  1. Omnivore Books on Food
    3885A Cesar Chavez St, San Francisco, CA